MLB Player News

Gausman (shoulder) will start the Blue Jays' Grapefruit League finale Monday versus the Pirates and expects to throw around three innings or 55 pitches, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.

Gausman will be making his spring debut Monday after he received the green light to start following a successful side session Saturday. Though the veteran right-hander still won't be fully built up even if Monday's outing goes smoothly, the Blue Jays are optimistic that it will be enough for him to avoid a stint on the 15-day injured list to open the season. Manager John Schneider has already confirmed Jose Berrios, Chris Bassitt and Yusei Kikuchi as the starters for the Blue Jays' first three games of the team's season-opening series with the Rays that begins Thursday, while Bowden Francis tentatively lines up to take the hill for Sunday's series finale. That would position Gausman to start the Blue Jays' fifth game of the season, an April 1 road matchup with the Astros. Davidi speculates that he would likely be in line for 65-to-70 pitches in Houston, targeting a more typical starter's workload by his third start of the season.

Fedde suffered a quadriceps injury in Sunday's matchup with the Rockies, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.

Fedde was on the mound for the start Sunday versus Colorado, tossing five innings, allowing one run on two hits and a walk while striking out four batters. In the contest, he took a line drive off of his right leg, suffering a quadriceps contusion. He reportedly avoided a significant injury, and Fedde expects to be able to make his first scheduled start of the 2024 campaign Sunday versus the Tigers.

Wacha suffered a bruised right middle finger during an intrasquad game Sunday and will undergo X-rays, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports.

The Royals are optimistic it's not a worrisome injury, but Wacha's status will be a bit up in the air until the results of the X-rays are known. Assuming it's not a serious issue, Wacha may still be able to make his first start of the season next weekend versus Minnesota.

Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday that Gil will open the year as the team's fifth starter, Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reports.

A slot in the rotation became available when it was announced that Gerrit Cole (elbow) would miss extended time at the start of the campaign, and Gil was among a group of hurlers competing for the role in spring training. The right-hander posted an excellent 2.87 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 23:6 K:BB over 15.2 Grapefruit League innings and drew positive comments from rival scouts, so his spot in the Opening Day rotation is well-deserved. Gil has made seven big-league appearances (all starts) in his career, posting a 3.78 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 43:21 K:BB across 33.1 frames. He should get several turns in the rotation to try to establish himself since Cole is not expected to be able to return until late May or early June at the earliest.

The White Sox designated Toussaint for assignment Sunday.

Toussaint's removal from the 40-man roster opens up a spot for outfielder Kevin Pillar, who was re-signed Sunday to a one-year deal. Perhaps more significantly, the roster move also opens up a spot in the rotation for rookie Nick Nastrini, who now looks in position to replace Toussaint as the White Sox's No. 5 starter to begin the season. Toussaint made bats miss at a solid clip upon joining the White Sox last June as a waiver-wire pickup from the Guardians, but command remained a concern for the right-hander, which has been a familiar refrain throughout his career. It was especially true during spring training, as Toussaint had posted a 12.91 ERA, 2.74 WHIP and an ugly 2:11 K:BB across 7.2 frames during Cactus League play.

The Red Sox placed Giolito (elbow) on the 60-day injured list Sunday, Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald reports.

The transaction is merely a procedural move, as Giolito is already set to miss the entire 2024 season while he recovers from the internal brace procedure he underwent on his right elbow earlier this month. The move opens up a spot on the 40-man roster for right-hander Chase Anderson, who is projected to serve as a long man out of the bullpen after Chris Murphy also recently suffered an elbow injury that's expected to require season-ending surgery. Signed by Boston this past offseason, Giolito will pocket $18 million in 2024 before likely exercising his $19 million player option for 2025 this coming winter.

Bello allowed one run on five hits and three walks while striking out seven over 5.1 innings in Saturday's spring start against the Pirates.

Bello hit the 91-pitch mark and finished his spring with a pair of strong outings following a shaky start. His spring ERA was at 6.75 after three starts, but Bello allowed two runs while striking out 12 over his final 10.1 innings. Next up for the 24-year-old righty is an Opening Day start, which will take place Thursday on the road in Seattle.

Eovaldi allowed two hits and one walk while striking out three over four scoreless innings in Saturday's spring start against Kansas City.

Eovaldi wrapped up spring with Saturday's effort and now turns his focus to Thursday's Opening Day start at home against the Cubs. He recorded a 2.63 ERA with 13 strikeouts and six walks over 13.2 spring innings (four starts).

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said last week that Cole (elbow) is a candidate for the 60-day injured list if the team needs to clear space on the 40-man roster, Greg Joyce of the New York Post reports.

This news is far from surprising given that Cole isn't expected to be able to start throwing until at least mid-April and would presumably need considerable time to build back up even if he doesn't encounter any setbacks along the way. The right-hander was diagnosed with nerve inflammation in his right elbow in mid-March and was originally estimated to be sidelined for 1-to-2 months, though Cashman's comments suggest the ace hurler is unlikely to make it back near the early end of that timeframe. It's logical to expect New York to avoid rushing Cole back into action considering the investment it made in him when it signed the former Astro to a nine-year, $324 million contract before the 2020 campaign.

Manager Matt Quatraro informed Sauer he made the Royals' Opening Day roster, Anne Rogers of MLB.com reports Saturday.

Sauer will be a member of the Royals' bullpen to begin the season. As a Rule 5 pick, Sauer has a fair amount of job security, though he's also earned the spot with a 2.53 ERA over 10.2 innings across eight Cactus League appearances. Sauer has experience as a starter in the minors while in the Yankees organization, so he should be able to provide a multi-inning option out of the bullpen with the Royals.